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Infection Prevention Week
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The week of
Oct. 17-23 is International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW), which was
established in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan who proclaimed the third
week of October as National Infection Control Week.
Since its creation, the Association for Professionals in Infection
Control and Prevention (APIC) has spearheaded the annual effort to
recognize IIPW globally. It is formally recognized in individual
institutions and nationally in several countries and regions around the
world including Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Middle East
and South East Asia.
The week highlights the infection prevention profession and its
partnerships with health-care professionals and administrators,
legislators, consumers and medical manufacturers. Through the
theme of “Infection Prevention is Everyone’s Business,” APIC is
promoting international observance of IIPW. Health care leaders are
asked to embrace the concept of prevention and promote a culture within
hospitals and outpatient care clinics where infection prevention is a
part of everyone’s job.
The staff of MUSC’s Infection Prevention and Control and Hospital
Epidemiology Department notes that International Infection Prevention
Week is a good time to celebrate the terrific work that is being done
to reduce health care associated infections at MUSC and in the
community and to collaborate for greater success in the coming year.
The following are reminders about the basics of infection prevention
which include:
- Adherence to
isolation policies by all people, including visitors
- Environmental
disinfection
- Patient care
equipment disinfection and sterilization
- Receiving all
indicated immunizations, including influenza vaccine.
Friday, Oct. 22, 2010
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